Ex-senator surrenders law license after pleas

LITTLE ROCK — A former Arkansas state senator who is the governor’s nephew is surrendering his law license after pleading guilty to bribery, conspiracy and tax fraud charges in federal court.

Former Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson on Thursday petitioned the state Supreme Court to grant the surrender of his law license after his pleas in the federal corruption cases. Hutchinson pleaded guilty Monday in Missouri to accepting thousands of dollars in bribes to help a health nonprofit.

Hutchinson last month pleaded guilty to accepting

bribes and filing a false tax return in a separate case in Arkansas. He has not been sentenced.

Hutchinson is the son of former U.S. Sen. Tim Hutchinson and the nephew of Gov. Asa Hutchinson. He’s among several Arkansas lawmakers ensnared in federal corruption probes since early 2017.

Levee district gets $2M to cover flood damage

LITTLE ROCK — A Little Rock levee district is getting $2 million to cover the cost of repairing recent flood damage.

The board of commissioners with the Riverdale Levee Improvement District approved the sum Thursday at a special meeting. The money will pay for work the levee district did in the area.

The district conducted additional engineering, construction and pump work to ensure its homes and businesses were protected from flooding.

Arkansas saw record flooding this year that damaged many levees.

Commission Chairman Mike Myers tells the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that the funding will keep the district afloat until it gets reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Levee districts are funded by a tax on businesses, developments and homeowners within the district.